Vital, diverse, complex, and extensive; these are adjectives used to describe our skin, which is the body’s largest and thinnest organ. It contains approximately 96 million pores, which is roughly 17 to 20 square feet in average sized adults. It comes as no surprise, then, that keeping this organ healthy is crucial to our overall health.

With functions as diverse as temperature regulation and sensations, the skin protects us by preventing bacteria, pathogens and pollutants from entering the blood stream, by taking in nutrients, moisture and oxygen, and by eliminating wastes and toxins.  So, it’s logical to assume that we all want to take care of this very vital organ; but, how many of us really do?

Mineral oil. Lanolin. Collagen. These are all chemicals that most of us don’t even know how to pronounce, and yet we continue to use them on our bodies in our everyday cosmetic and body care products.

Real Purity doesn’t use any of these ingredients, nor are its cosmetics or body care products made with any other additives or chemicals. But the truth is that every ingredient can affect every consumer differently. The only way to buy the right products for you is to be educated about what’s in them. So read on below for some of the chemicals we recommend avoiding.

Mineral Oil (includes petroleum jelly, petrolatum, Vaseline, paraffin jelly): All of these items are derived from petroleum.  Regardless of the degree of refining, hydrocarbons (liquid or otherwise),are not healthy for the body, because they block the skin pores and interrupt the skin’s natural respiration and eliminating functions. Often, mineral oils are used in cold creams, emollient creams, conditioning creams, wax depilatories, eyebrow pencils, eye shadows, liquefying creams, liquid powders, nail whites, lipsticks, protective creams, baby creams, rouge and numerous other products. Mineral oils block the skins pores thereby interrupting the skins natural respiration and elimination functions.

Toxic Product Examples (containing Mineral Oils): Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Hand & Nail Conditioning Hand Lotion, Banana Boat Protecting Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Spray Sunscreen, Love My Lips Lipstick

Read more at: Annmarie Gianni Skin Care, "Ingredient Watch List: Mineral Oil - Guaranteed I Won't Be Putting It On My Baby's Skin!"

Lanolin (wool fat, wool wax): This is a product of the oil glands of sheep and is often used in lipsticks, mascaras, liquid powders, nail polish removers, protective oil, eye shadows, rouges, foundation creams, foundation cake makeups, hair conditioners, eye creams, cold creams, brilliatine hair dressings, emollients and ointment bases.  Chemically a wax rather than a fat it is a common skin sensitizer, causing allergic contact skin rashes.  It is not used in its pure form today because of its allergy causing potential.

Toxic Product Examples (containing Lanolin): Revlon Moon Drops Lip Conditioner, Naturative Skin Renewal Moisturizer, Baby Magic Gentle Baby Lotion (Original Baby Scent)

 Read more at: cracked.com, "The 6 Most Horrifying Ingredients in Everyday Cosmetics"

Collagen (collagen amino acids): collagen is a protein substance found in connective tissue. In cosmetics, it is most often derived from animal tissue.  It has been hailed as a wonder ingredient; however, according to medical experts, it cannot affect the skins own collagen when applied topically.

"Insincere Marketing" Product Examples (containing Collagen): Placenta Collagen Masks, Lip Plumpers

For further reading: the Women's Forum, "Bad Makeup Ingredients"

For more information on the products in your cabinet and the toxic products we've listed above, check out the Environmental Working Group website, which rates most cosmetic and beauty products on their toxicity levels.

*most toxic product examples found at www.ewg.org

Surprised by some of these examples and looking for alternatives? Shop now at www.Realpurity.com to see examples of products that never contain chemicals, fragrances and aren't harmful to animals, the environment or our bodies.